Are only activists protesting against Changhua’s air pollution?

Taiwan's coal power plant at Wuchi, Taichung was named by Nature magazine as the world's dirtiest power plant.

Today's Taipei Times tells us that "Activists protest against Changhua's air pollution." The article goes on to say that "Environmental activists rallied in front of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday afternoon, demanding it set an upper limit for the total air pollutant emissions for central Taiwan and establish an air quality monitoring station in Changhua County." It would seem those pesky, nothing-better-to-do environmental activists are at it again. But is it just activists that are getting upset? In recent weeks we've seen tens of thousands of people come out in protest of various issues from military abuse to the Dapu demolitions. We've seen two defense ministers go in a week. And were all those protesting citizens that took to the streets activists? Certainly not! They were regular people like you and me upset at the abuse of power by the authorities and this time they have a legitimate concern about air pollution in central Taiwan. Afterall, two of the world's top ten dirtiest power plants are located in that area. But time and time again when concerned folks take to the streets they are labeled as activists and made to look like a bunch of hippy radicals. This brings to mind a letter that appeared in the Taipei Times last year; It's all in the name. 

Taipei Times letter- July 30, 2012.

It’s all in the name

What one calls a terrorist another calls a liberator. It is all in the name; how those who hold power or desire power wish the masses to perceive something. The media obviously plays its part in all this.

Take the Taipei Times article “Environmentalists protest over EIA” (July 26, page 3). Environmentalists? Images of long-haired hippie types stuck in a 1960s mindset rambling on about free love and Mother Earth come to mind. And I am pretty sure that is just what some politicians, developers and corporations want you to think. “Yeah, the lunatic fringe up in arms again causing disruptions!”

The first paragraph of the article read as follows:

“Environmentalists yesterday protested against an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for an expansion project at a naphtha cracker complex that failed to include fine particles.”

You would be forgiven for thinking it was just those pesky environmentalists that have a problem with an environmental impact assessment for the fourth phase expansion project at Formosa Plastics Corp’s sixth naphtha cracker complex in Yunlin County’s Mailiao Township (麥寮). Some group of crazy green bunny-huggers whining about fine particles not being listed.

Now, let us delete “environmentalists” and give a more accurate description of those that typically are present at these protests against the expansion projects down in Mailao:

“Concerned local residents, civic groups, fishers, farmers, workers, teachers, academics, parents, lawyers, doctors, conservation and environmental groups yesterday protested against an EIA for an expansion project at a naphtha cracker complex that failed to include fine particles.”

OK, it is a bit long, but you get the point. It sounds different, doesn’t it? It changes things. We relate to these people. They are us. They do not sound so loony.

However, the Taipei Times so often boxes these regular folks and organizations as “environmentalists” or “activists” or some other “ism.” I am sure the so-called developers must smile at this subtle eroding of Joe Citizen’s image and credibility.

You see. It is not just environmentalists that are pissed off with Formosa Plastics and its toxic hell down in Mailiao. After all the pollution, fires, greed and lack of ethics, after soaring cancer rates, dirty air and smokey gray skies, people have had enough. They want to know why the Environmental Protection Agency allows this toxic nightmare to continue.

However, others would have you believe it is just some nutty environmentalists who have a problem with it.

T.W. Sousa, Yunlin County